Leaf-holder for books



(No Model.)

J. HYLAND.

LEAF HOLDER FOR BOOKS.

No. 399,411. Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

llniTnn @TATES PATENT OTTTQE.

JOSEPH IIYLANI), OF IH FFALO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE'IIALF TO E. I. SULLIVAN,Oh EAGLE VILLAGE, NINV YORK.

LEAF-HOLDER FOR BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,411, dated March12, 1889.

Application filed December 8, 1888. Serial No. 292,997. (No model.) I

To all whom 2'25 72011.7 cancer/1.:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH IIYLAND, of Buffalo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented certain new and 5 usefulIl'lllliOVCEll'lOlltS on. Leaf-Holders for Books; and I do herebydeclare that the following description of my said invention, taken inconnection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear,and exact speci- 1o fication, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to clamps for holding the leaves ofmusic and I 5 similar books in proper position; and it 0011- sists,essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and detailsof construction, as hereinafter firstfully set forth and de scribed, andthen pointedout in the claims.

In the drawings already mentioned, which serve to illustrate my said.invention more fully, Figure l is a perspective view of a book having'myimproved leaf-holder affixed. Fig. 2 is a similar view of theleaf-holder proper.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the same as affixed toa book. Fig. -i is a similarview of the holder detached. Fig. 5 is a sh e elevation of the same.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in allthe figures.

The object of my present invention is the production of a cheap andsimple device for holding the leaves of a book, especially a music-book,in an open position to enable the player of an instrument to readily seethe music or notes to be played. Books in gen cral, especially when new,have a tendeney to close or the leaves to turn when not desired, amatter causing considerable annoyance to players of pianos, organs, andother instruments, and frequently absolute embarrassment, owing to thefact that the player must stop to return the leaves tothcir properposition.

To avoid these serious oliijections I construct a holder, substantiallyas shown in Fig. 2, where the holder proper, 15, consists of a curvedback-pieceJ, having upwardly-projecting members Z) b, which areforwardly 5o bent at (Q C, and then downwardly bent at I) D, and finallycurved at c c, as clearly illustrated in the figures. This holder isconstructed, preferably, of spring-wire of proper thickness and temper,so that when it is applied to a book, A, as shown in Fig. 1, it willpush the back of the book forward to assume the shape substantially asshown in Fig. 3, thereby drawing the leaves of the book back and holdingthem perfectly flat, at the same time preventing them from beingaccidentally 6o turned over by air-currents or otherwise. Centrally uponthe curved back-piece F, I provide a bearing-piece, E, representing,preferably, a lyre or other musical symbol. The object of this piece isto distribute the pressure of the back-piece 1 upon a larger surface ofthe back. of the book than would be exerted without the same, in whichcase the back might soon show the effects of the holder. Though adesirable adjunct I do not consider this pressure-piece a necessaryelement in my device, and I do not, therefore, wish to confine myself tothe same.

In operation the book, which my device is desired to hold in a flatcondition, is opened at the particular place, and my holder pushed fromthe top over the same, so that the downwardly-p0inting tangs l) I) areupon the face of the lcaves,and the curved back-piece bearing upon theback of the book, the tendency 0f the latter to close being counteractedby the tension of the curved back-piece to such an extent as to causeitto assume a more or less straight line, as shown in Fig. 2). .Thisdevice, however, does not interfere with the leaves of the book beingturned from underneath oneoi' the tang as in reading music while playingan instrument, because the curved ends of the tangs do not press uponthe leaves with sufficient force to hold them down very tightly.

For books of different thickness within the limit of the instrument Iconstruct a'leafholder in which the back-piece F or the members C C, orboth, are of different length in a 5 manner readily comprehended.

It is perfectly obvious that sheet-music can be held in an open and flatcondition just as well and as readily as music or other books, and. thatthe application of my holder to such Ioo purposes is but another of thevarious legitimate uses to which the same may be applied. Another usemay be the holding open and in a fiat condition Written or otherdocuments, instruments, and deeds, &c., for the purpose of copyingWithout change or modification.

In cases Where a heavy or thick book is to be held open I prefer toprovide the bearingpiece E with a doWnWardly-projecting lug, e, asillustrated in Fig. 2, and attach thereto an elastic ribbon or tape, H,to the lower end of Which I fasten a hook, G, which tape is passed downthe back of the book, so that the hook G may engage the lower edge ofthe said back, thereby retaing the holder in its proper position. Thiselastic strap enables the attachment of the holder to books of variousheights; but other adjustable devices may he substituted Withoutchanging the nature of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim as neu and desire tosecure to me by Letters Patent of the United States 1, A leaf-holder forbooks, substantially as described, consisting, essentially, of a singlepiece of spring-Wire having the curved backpiece E, upwardly-bentmembers I) b, cross pieces 0 O, and doWnWardly-projectin g tangs D D,the latter having the curved ends 0 c, as described, for the objectstated.

2. As a new and improved article of man ufacture, a leaf-holder forbooks, consisting, essentially, of a holder having a curved backpiece,F, provided with the bearing-piece E, upwardly-pointing members I) b,cross-pieces O G, and downwardly-projecting tangs D D, as and for thepurpose stated.

3. In book-holders, the combination, With the back-piece 13, having thebearing-piece E, provided With the lug e, of the elastic strap H and thehook G, as described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have heretoset my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH HYLAND- Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, E. P. SULLIVAN.

